Brown was a star football quarterback at Mount Vernon High School in New York, but rejected an athletic scholarship to the University of Iowa to pursue a music career. In 1987, Quincy Jones selected Brown as the first winner of the Sony Innovators Talent Search. Subsequently, Brown went on to work with Jones on several projects, most notably the platinum single "Secret Garden" from Jones' double platinum album Back on the Block. On this recording, Brown was one of a quartet with Barry White, El DeBarge, and James Ingram.
His debut album from 1988, In Effect Mode, sold more than two million copies, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven straight weeks. The album included his memorable single "Nite and Day", which topped the R&B singles chart and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. He received numerous Grammy and American Music Award (AMA) nominations, and won an AMA for Best New R&B Artist. He also received several Soul Train Award nominations, and won the award for Best New Artist. He also won several New York Music Awards. In addition, Al's 900 phone line was third in generating revenue, following those for New Kids on the Block and Run-DMC.
As a writer and producer, Brown introduced the multi-platinum group Jodeci and teen R&B performer Tevin Campbell (also one of Quincy Jones's former protégés), as well as Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case, and Usher to the music scene.
On June 23, 2009, Al released his fourth studio album, Honey I'm Home. It features the hit song, "I Love It (Papi Aye Aye Aye)." The single peaked at #77 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and at #22 Adult R&B.
Hotel California
Al B. Sure! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
This could be Heaven or this could be Hell
Then she lit up a candle
And she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely place (background)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year
Any time of year (background)
You can find it here
You can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany twisted
She's got the bright red Benz
She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys
That she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard
Sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember
Some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain
Please bring me my wine
He said
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely Place
Such a lovely Place (background)
Such a lovely face
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise
What a nice surprise (background)
Bring your alibi's
Mirrors on the ceiling
Pink champagne on ice
And she said
We are all just prisoners here
Of our own device
And in the master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
Relax said the nightman
We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave
"Hotel California" is a timeless classic song by Al B. Sure! that allows listeners to use their imagination and craft their interpretation of the lyrics. The song starts with the singer, driving on a dark desert highway, feeling the cool wind in his hair, and smelling colitas rising up through the air. As he drives, he sees a shimmering light in the distance, causing his head to grow heavy, and his sight grew dim, making him stop for the night. The singer then encounters a woman in the doorway and hears the mission bell, indicating he might be at a church or a monastery. The woman lights up a candle and shows him the way; however, he hears voices down the corridor, which he can't understand.
As the song continues, listeners can assume that the singer is at the Hotel California, "such a lovely place," according to the woman, with "plenty of room." However, the woman tells him that her mind is "Tiffany twisted," and she has fake friends who are "pretty boys." There are people dancing in the courtyard of the hotel, some to remember and some to forget. We then see the singer drinking wine, and a captain informs him that they haven't had that spirit since 1969. The singer hears strange voices that might wake him in the middle of the night, even when he's asleep.
The third verse depicts the hotel as a place with mirrors on the ceiling and pink champagne on ice. The woman tells the singer that they are all prisoners of their devices. They gather for the feast, and they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast. The last part of the song shows the singer running towards the door and trying to find the passage to where he was before. However, he meets the nightman, who tells him to relax as they are programmed to receive. He can check out any time he likes, but he can never leave.
Line by Line Meaning
On a dark desert highway
The singer was driving through a deserted area at night.
Cool wind in my hair
The wind was blowing gently and felt refreshing.
Warm smell of colitas
The air was filled with the pleasant aroma of a type of cannabis.
Rising up through the air
The smell of cannabis was wafting through the air.
Up ahead in the distance
In the distance, there was something visible.
I saw a shimmering light
The visible apparition was a bright and sparkling light.
My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
The singer became tired and disoriented.
I had to stop for the night
The artist was forced to stop driving and stay somewhere for the night.
There she stood in the doorway
A woman was standing in the doorway of the building the artist stopped at.
I heard the mission bell
The artist heard a bell ringing from a nearby mission.
And I was thinking to myself
The singer was thinking privately to himself.
This could be Heaven or this could be Hell
The situation the artist found himself in could either be really good or really bad.
Then she lit up a candle
The woman lit up a candle for the singer to see better.
And she showed me the way
The woman guided the singer to where he needed to go.
There were voices down the corridor
The singer could hear people talking in the hallway.
I thought I heard them say
The artist wasn't sure what he was hearing, but he thought he heard people talking.
Welcome to the Hotel California
The building the artist entered was the Hotel California.
Such a lovely place
The Hotel California was a very nice place.
Such a lovely place (background)
The phrase 'such a lovely place' was sung in the background.
Such a lovely face
The woman who showed the artist the way was very beautiful.
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
The Hotel California had enough space for many people to stay.
Any time of year
The Hotel California was open and available to guests year-round.
Any time of year (background)
The phrase 'any time of year' was sung in the background.
You can find it here
Anyone seeking the Hotel California can locate it easily.
Her mind is Tiffany twisted
The woman who helped the singer was emotionally unstable and disturbed.
She's got the bright red Benz
The woman had an expensive and flashy car.
She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys
The woman surrounded herself with attractive men.
That she calls friends
The attractive men were her associates and companions.
How they dance in the courtyard
The men and possibly the woman danced in the courtyard together.
Sweet summer sweat
They were sweating from the heat of the summer night.
Some dance to remember
Some of the people danced to remember happy times and memories.
Some dance to forget
Others danced in order to forget their current problems and worries.
So I called up the Captain
The artist contacted a person in charge of the situation.
Please bring me my wine
The artist requested his wine be brought to him.
He said
The Captain responded to the singer's request.
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
The Captain informed the artist that they didn't have his wine available anymore.
And still those voices are calling from far away
The singer could still hear voices calling out to him from a distance.
Wake you up in the middle of the night
The voices had the power to wake the singer from his sleep.
Just to hear them say
The singer couldn't understand all that was being said, but he could hear people talking.
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California
The people staying at the Hotel California were having a great time.
What a nice surprise
The good time the people were having was an unexpected but welcome event.
What a nice surprise (background)
The phrase 'what a nice surprise' was sung in the background.
Bring your alibi's
The singer advises anyone planning on doing something questionable to be prepared with a good excuse.
Mirrors on the ceiling
The ceiling of the Hotel California had mirrors on it.
Pink champagne on ice
Pink champagne was being kept cool on ice.
And she said
The woman who helped the artist said something to him.
We are all just prisoners here
The woman said that everyone in the Hotel California was a prisoner and couldn't leave.
Of our own device
The people staying there were secluding themselves here by choice.
And in the master's chambers
There was an established hierarchy in the Hotel California that the singer referred to as 'the master's chambers.'
They gathered for the feast
The people staying at the Hotel California came together for a meal.
They stab it with their steely knives
The people at the feast had sharp knives and were eager to dig into the food.
But they just can't kill the beast
The beast could represent the terrible situation these people had found themselves in and the struggle to escape it.
Last thing I remember
The artist is uncertain about what happened next due to his hazy memory.
I was running for the door
The singer's last memory is of running away.
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
The singer wanted to find his way back to his previous life and get back on track.
Relax said the nightman
A man who worked at night told the artist to calm down.
We are programmed to receive
The man says he is simply following an established plan or custom.
You can check out any time you like
The artist can leave whenever he wants, but it is difficult to do so.
But you can never leave
The Hotel California has a strange hold over anyone who stays there, and it is difficult to ever truly leave it behind.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glenn Lewis Frey, Don Felder, Donald Hugh Henley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind